barber

1 of 2

noun

bar·​ber ˈbär-bər How to pronounce barber (audio)
: one whose business is cutting and dressing hair, shaving and trimming beards, and performing related services

barber

2 of 2

verb

barbered; barbering ˈbär-b(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce barber (audio)

transitive verb

: to perform the services of a barber for : trim or groom the hair or beard of

intransitive verb

: to perform the services of a barber

Example Sentences

Noun He goes to a barber downtown. went to the barber to get his hair cut and his beard trimmed
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The original market, erected decades ago, was supposed to contain all the commerce of the city, from knock off Nike shoes to fresh flowers, but the market has since spilled into several blocks, creating a thriving jumble of shops, spice stalls, and one seat barber shops. Beck Bamberger, Forbes, 6 May 2023 The haircut complete, Antonio slid out of the barber chair and got back into the passenger seat of Hardy’s Tesla. Lizzie Johnson, Washington Post, 3 May 2023 The entire Murdock London line was designed by professional barbers at the iconic London shop and this razor is no exception. Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023 Barris spreads the comedy love around with a collection of cameos throughout the film, including his own; Nelson Franklin, Rob Huebel and Winnie Holzman make appearances, as do Deon Cole and Andrea Savage, as dueling party planners, and longtime Barris collaborator Anthony Anderson plays a barber. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Jan. 2023 LaRose's office reached out to 50 groups, including business organizations, barber shops and labor unions, asking for help to communicate the ID requirements to voters. Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 4 May 2023 Straight razors: These are often seen in barber shop settings. Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 4 May 2023 Wood nervously shuffled his notecards while a barber, can of coloring spray in hand, negotiated just how honest his hairline would be. Wesley Lowery, Washington Post, 1 May 2023 In the parking lot, Mr. Achmad saw the barber bleeding from an injury to his head while another person appeared to have a broken leg. Dave Sebastian, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2022
Verb
From the porch of his childhood home in Cherry Hill to barber shops across Baltimore, Troy Staton, 52, has cut hair for nearly four decades. Tatyana Turner, baltimoresun.com, 14 Dec. 2020 The new campus will have a 28-chair clinic classroom, 12-chair barbering clinic classroom and five large classroom spaces for more training. Evan Casey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2020 Roger Federer, while not infallible, can play when there is barbered grass underfoot. The Si Staff, SI.com, 29 June 2018 Ethos, Jacobs’ barbering biz featuring a traveling grooming station, was born. Elizabeth Wellington, Philly.com, 21 June 2018 Missouri law requires a training course of 1,000 hours for barbering and 1,500 hours for hairdressing, followed by a licensing exam. Tony Rizzo, kansascity, 11 Jan. 2018 The center offers auto and collision training in several garage bays, a welding shop, a dental lab, a cosmetology and barbering center, graphic arts and a culinary arts program. Carole Carlson, Post-Tribune, 23 Dec. 2017 But barbering was hard on daddy’s feet, and mother was homesick. WSJ, 19 Dec. 2017 There are still all kinds of souvenirs and reminders of the two Italian barbers and their customers: postcards stuck into the mirrors, decades of shavers and other barbering gadgetry. Polly Campbell, Cincinnati.com, 12 Oct. 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French barbour, from barbe beard — more at barb

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of barber was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near barber

Cite this Entry

“Barber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barber. Accessed 1 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

barber

noun
bar·​ber
ˈbär-bər
: a person whose business is cutting and dressing hair and shaving beards
barber verb
Etymology

Noun

Middle English barber "barber," from early French barbour (same meaning), derived from Latin barba "beard" — related to barb

Biographical Definition

Barber

biographical name

Bar·​ber ˈbär-bər How to pronounce Barber (audio)
Samuel 1910–1981 American composer

More from Merriam-Webster on barber

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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